The title sequence to “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” proves to be quite visually stirring and equally creepy without ever having to introduce a character into the frames. The sequences follows the creation, and inner workings, of a meat pie…from the churning wheels that allow machines to work, to the burning fire that burns ablaze and cooks the pies in the large oven. The narrator for most of this title sequence is not a person but streams of blood that move about as as the camera follows.
The title sequence gives a strong foreshadow into the plot without being overly obvious. In addition, the title sequence looks ambiguous in design. It is difficult to figure out what is animated and what looks human-like. The text is minimal, not to take away from the grand scale action going on behind it. It’s strong in its conveying of a message while still leaving the unfamiliar viewer without too much insight into the film they will be watching, which I believe makes for a perfect title sequence.